VideoLAN FAQ

Where did you read VLC for Mac OS 9 exist? There is not, and will not be, a version for Mac OS 9.

VLC uses libdvdcss to read all DVDs, disregarding their zone. All regions are supported without any constraint.

Currently, a config file is created on a per user basis (there is no global configuration file). If you modify the available options in VLC and save the new configuration, then a configuration file will be created in your user directory. The precise location of this file depends on the Operating System you are running:

The first thing to do is to delete VLC's configuration file (see the previous question to know about its location). Then restart VLC. If it does not get any better, read the following questions!

Here are a few things to check:

There is probably a problem with the output layer. There are several ways of troubleshooting it. First, try with another output plugin, for instance:

% vlc -V sdl
% vlc -V x11

Second, change your screen depth and/or definition. It quite often helps. Lastly, if running Unix, have a look at your XFree86 video driver.

Your system is too slow to decode all pictures. It might be that your CPU basically is not fast enough. It can also be that the subsystem is misconfigured/misdriven, this happens for example under Redhat Linux. Here are some elements to improve speed:

Try using another audio output plugin and, under Unix, kill esd or artsd if they are running.

Increase the verbosity level (either in the preferences or with a -vvvv command line option) and look at the debug messages (in the terminal or in the Messages window).

If you are convinced that it is a bug in VLC, have a look at the bug reporting page.

To take normal screen capture of the video displayed by VLC:

Well, there are in fact two kinds of streaming: passive streaming in which a movie is sent by a server and watched by one or several client, and Video On Demand (VOD) in which each client asks for its own stream.

Yes, both programs can be used to stream video, as explained in the VideoLAN HOWTO. The streaming features of each program are described on the streaming features page.

Technically, there is an important difference:

To be a real streamer, VLC would need to be able to read multiple sources at the same time. VLS can do this since its origin, but VLC cannot do this for the moment. Some VLC developers are working on a new version of the VLC input, known as "Input 4", which should address this issue.

To understand this situation, you must consider the history of VideoLAN. Before VLC's stream output, we had two very different programs:

In september 2002, some VLC developers had the idea of taking advantage of the multiple demuxers and codecs implemented in VLC to build a Stream Ouput whose ultimate goal was to be able to do transcoding. They wrote a stream output for VLC, that was released with VLC 0.5.0 in late January 2003. VLC's stream output is now beginning to do some transcoding.

But what is more important is that VLS and VLC developers are not the same people, and that they are free to write the software they prefer! That is how free software runs, and it has shown in the past that is was a good engine for innovation and enhancement.

You may freely use the VideoLAN logo using the following copyright:

Copyright (c) 1996-2003 VideoLAN. This logo or a modified version may be used or modified by anyone to refer to the VideoLAN project or any product developed by the VideoLAN team, but does not indicate endorsement by the project.

You may distribute an original or modified version of a piece of VideoLAN software as long as you comply with its license terms. It is the GNU General Public License Version 2 (referred herein as GPL), and it is in the file named COPYING in our products. The easiest way to conform to the GPL is to accompany the product you want to distribute with its sources. For example, if you plan to distribute the lastest binary version of VLC, you should also include all the files listed on the VLC source code page. You do not need to bother explaining where the sources are, but the sources have to share the same media as the products. There are other ways to comply with the GPL, but this should be the simplest because it does not rely on a contract.

The use and distribution of the libdvdcss library is controversial in a few countries such as the United States because of a law called the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act). If you are unsure about the legality of using and distributing this library in your country, please consult your lawyer.

You might either contribute time, material, or money. We are also always needing some translators. You will find all information you need on the contribute page.

VideoLAN's developers come from all around the world and english is the only language they can use to communicate together. Although great care is given to the translation of VLC in various languages, maintaining translations of our website costs too much more time than we can afford.